Control system.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL A. SIMMON, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, AND JOSEPH D. BIBRELL, OF WILKINSBT IRG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

common SYSTEM.

I Application filed November 29, 1915. Serial No. 64,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, KARL A. SIMMON,

sylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control Systems, of which the following is a s ecification.

Our invention re ates to control systems and particularly to control systems for electric vehicles provided with fluid-operated brakes.

One object of our invention is to provide a control system of the above indicated character with means which shall automaticall break the power circuits to a motor and e foot the operation of the fluid-operated brakes in case the operator of the vehicle becomes incapacitated through illness or sudden death.

Another object of our invention is to provide means, controlled by the foot of, the operator of the vehicle for automatically breaking the power circuits of the motor, and for setting the fluid-operated brakes.

More specifically our invention embodies a control system provided with a controller for governing the, operation of a driving motor for the vehicle, an automatic tripping switch for connecting the controller to a power circuit, and an auxiliary switch which is preferably operated by the foot of the motorman and which will automatically set thefiuid-operated brake-s of the vehicle and trip the automatic switch in case the same is released.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of a control system illustrating our invention.

Referring to the drawing, a driving motor 1 embodying an armature 2 and fieldmagnet windings 3, is governed by a controller 4 comprising a movable contact seg ment 5 which coiiperates with the stationary contact fingers 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, resistors 11, 12 and 13, an automatic tripping switch 14 and an auxiliary switch 15, and is supplied with energy by a trolley 16 which engages a trolley conductor 17.

The automatic tripping switch 14 comprises a stationary contact terminal 18, a

movable contact terminal 19 which i is mounted on an arm 20 of a'three-arm lever 21, a shunt coil 22, a series coil 23, a core armature 24 which is operated by either the shunt coil 22 of the series coil 23 in a forward direction and which is retracted by a spring 25, and a lever 26 which is pivoted intermediate its ends and has one end connected to the core armature 24 and has another end adapted to engage an extension 27 on the end of a second arm 28 of the threearm lever 21. The automatic tripping switch further includes a handle 29 on a third arm 30 of the three-arm lever 21, for forcing contact terminals 18. and 19 into engagement with each other, and a retractile spring 31 which is connected to the arm 28 and which is adapted to separate the contact terminals 18 and 19 whenever the arm 26 is operated by the core armature 24 to release arm 28.

The auxiliary switch 15 embodies a lever 32 that is pivoted intermediate its ends, one end 33 of the lever being adapted to be 0 era-ted by the foot of the motorman and t e other end 34 having mounted thereon a contact 34 that is adapted to bridge contact terminals 35 and 36 when in the position shown, and a lever 37 having one end attached to the lever 32 and the other end connected to an arm 38 for operating a fluid the end 33 of the lever 32 so as to cause the contact terminal 34 to disengage connection with the contact terminals 35 and 36 and then operates the controller 4 to position a so as to cause the movable contact segment 5 to engage the stationary contact fingers 6 and 7. Thus. a circuit is closed which may be traced from the trolley conductor .17 through the trolley 16, contact terminal 19, contact terminal 18, series coil 23, contact finger 6, controller segment 5, contact finger 7, resistors 11, 12 and 13 and motor 1 to ground Gr. The motor 1 is operated, and by moving the controller4 to positions 72-, o and (Z, the resistors 11, 12 and 13 may be excluded from its circuit.

-, series coil 23, contact In case the operator becomes incapacitated through illness or sudden death, and the lever 32 of the switch 15 is relieved of pressure on the end 33 thereof, then a spring 410 will retract the switch 15 for operating the contact terminal 34 to bridge the contact terminals 35 and 36 and for operating the lever 37 to rotate the arm 38 of the fluid valve 39. Thus, valve 39 is operated to set the fluid-pressure brakes and a circuit is closed through the shunt coil 22 of the automatic tripping switch 1 1 which may be traced from the trolley conductor 17 through the trolley 16, contact terminals 19 and 18,

inger 6, controller segment 5, contact. finger i shunt coil. and contact terminals 85, and to the ground G. Accordir ly, the shunt coil is energized for oper 716 core 1?: 24. to withdraw the a :26 from c with the arm 28 so that the retractile spring 31 may operate the three-arm lever 21 to disconnect contact terminals 18 and 19 and thus break the circuit of the motor 1. The series coil 23 will operate the automatic tripping switch in a similar manner to the shunt coil 22 in case the driving motor 1 at any time draws an excessive amount of current. It should be noted in connection with the above, that it would be impossible for the operator of the car, to start the driving motor 1 without first operating the switch 15 to disconnect the contact terminal 34: from the contact terminals 35 and 36, and to release the fluid valve 39.

Obviously, our invention is not restricted to the specific structural details in the arran ement and location of parts herein set fort as many modifications therein may be efiected without departing from the spirlt and scope of our invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a control system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch, a controller, and an auxiliary switch, of means for tripping said automatic switch in case said auxiliary switch is closed while said controller is in an operative position, or 1n case said controller is operated while said auxiliary switch is in a closed position.

2. In a control system, the combination with a power circuit, a motor, an automatic tripping switch, a controller, and an auxiliary switch, of means for tripping said automatic switch to disconnect said motor from the power circuit in case said controller is operated while the auxiliary switch is in a closed position or in case said auxiliary switch is closed while the controller is in an operative position.

3. In a control system, the combination with an automatic trippin switch, a power circuit, a motor, a contro ler, and an auxiliary switch which is biased to closed position and which is opened when pressure 1s applied thereon, of means for connecting said motor to the power circuit in case said controller is operated while pressure is being applied to said auxiliary switch and means for tripping said automatic switch to break the motor circuit in case said auxiliary switch is released.

4;. In a control system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch, an auxiliary switch and a fluid valve, of means for tripping said automatic switch and for operating said fluid valve in case said auxiliary switch is moved to a closed position.

5. In a control system, the combination with a power circuit, a motor, an automatic tripping switch, a controller, an aux --.ry switch and a fluid valve, of means for trip-- ping said. automatic switch. to disconnect said motor from the power circuit and means for automatically operatin said fluid valve in case said auxiliary switci is closed while the controller is in an operative position.

6. In a control system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch having a shunt coil, an auxiliary switch in series with said shunt coil, a fluid valve, and a controller, of means for operating said shunt coil to trip said automatic switch and for operating said fluid valve in case said auxiliary switch is closed while said controller is in an operative position.

7. In a control system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch, a motor in series with said switch, a controller for governing the operation of said motor, and a fluid valve, of automatic means comprising an auxiliary switch for operating said fluid valve and for tripping said automatic switch to break the motor circuit.

8. In acontrol system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch havin a shunt coil, and a controller, of means I01 automatically energizing said shunt ooil under predetermined conditions to trip said automatic switch in case said controller is in an operative position.

9. In a control system, the combination with an automatic tripping switch having a series and a shunt coil, and a controller in series circuit relation with said series coil, of means for energizing said shunt coil to trip said automatic switch under predetermined conditions in case the controller is in an operative position,- and means for operatmg said series coil to trip said automatic switch in case the current passing through said series coil exceeds a definite predetermined amount.

10. In a control system, the combination with a controller and an auxiliary switch, of an automatic tripping switch having a series and a shunt coil, the series coil bem controlled by said controller and the shunt coil 1 0 being controlled jointly by said auxiliary switch is closed while the controller is in switch and said controller. y an operative position.

11. In a control system, the combination In testimony whereof, we have hereunto with an automatic tripping switch having a subscribed our names this 15th day of Nova,

5 shunt coil, an auxiliary swltch in series with 1915.

said shunt coil, and a controller, of means for energizing said shunt coil to trip said KARL A. SIMMON. automatic switch in case said auxiliary JOSEPH D. BIRRELL. 

